Love and Pain
by etoileluisant
Summary: Where Eros doesn't forgive Psyche, and their children live a lie.


_Of one declare lilies and faith,_  
 _Of counterpart recount trust, but betrayed._  
 _Opposites but confidants,_  
 _Sun and moon, like salt and pepper._  
 _Twins unite, under odds not in their favor._

* * *

Psyche knew; she knew it was hopeless to get Eros' affection again, to make him trust her. After all, she hadn't trusted him. She'd listened to what her sisters had said, instead of trusting her husband. The sisters who'd never been anything but jealous of her, who'd always wanted her beauty, to garner the attention and admiration she got. They didn't know it was fruitless; they didn't know they got the better end of the bargain. Though beautiful, Psyche's life had been nothing but pain and misery. She would give anything to switch her life to one of a fat, old housewife; who took care of the children and milked the cows.

Psyche wanted nothing of beauty, and literally nothing could convince her otherwise. Now, seven months pregnant, with the ire of Aphrodite and Eros on her back, she would give anything to be able to successfully plummet off a cliff and go to Hades, even though she knew her judgement would be an unfavorable one; where she would go to the Fields of Punishment for an eternity of torture.

She wept tears of shame, of guilt, and at the brutality, out of which Chaos had made the world. She cursed her sisters as she ploughed over hills, sobbed out her anger as she passed the temple of Aphrodite and prayed to Hades, day and night, for an eternal sleep and some relief. The only goal she really had was to find Eros, and who knew where a god of love would hide out to brood over the betrayal of his lover?

Finally, when Psyche thought she could take no more, after she was ready to give herself up to Aphrodite for according punishment, it seemed someone heard her prayers.

 _'Dear girl, you have not betrayed your husband.'_

The voice, all in her head, said as Psyche approached one of Aphrodite's many temples. Thinking she had finally passed over the edge, Psyche fell to the ground, laughing insanely. Thank the gods it was deserted at 3:00am, otherwise they would've shipped Psyche off to some nunnery of sorts until she gave birth to her child, and then execute her for the recurring madness.

"How have I not betrayed him? Can't you see how I've sinned? How I betrayed his trust? He will never love me again!" Psyche screamed, pummeling her fists into the muddy ground.

 _'You should not despair like this. Don't worry, little mortal, help is on the way.'_

And with that, the voice ceased to speak.

Psyche was nearly driven mad out of despair, shrieking out her lungs for the alleged help. For the next two days, Psyche camped outside Aphrodite's temple, far enough so the goddess wouldn't notice her presence. Giving up seemed to be one of her greatest forte's, and Psyche was just about to do that, when at the brink of dawn on the third day, a golden halo of light descended down on her.

Psyche whimpered and looked up into the clean, angelic face of a beautiful adolescent, clearly not a human. Light brown curls tumbled down to her waist, her golden eyes as sparkly as the dawning sun, with rosebud lips and an ever present blush. She was wearing a flawless Greek chiton, with a wreath on her brown locks, made of what she would later learn, was tiny rays of sunlight bound together to form that unique piece of jewelry.

"Despair not, little mortal; for I, Hemera, goddess of the dawn and daylight, have come to your aid." She whispered softly, her sweet breath ghosting over Psyche's scratched and muddy cheeks.

"Help." Was all she managed to croak out.

"I will take you to my palace, where you will recuperate. After you are rested, we will talk."

With that, Hemera's dainty hands took Psyche's own callused and work-driven ones and they flashed away in a rush of heat and light.

For the next few days, all Psyche did was eat, sleep and bathe. She saw nothing of Hemera, only of the dawn goddesses servants. Whenever she asked them about her, all they would say was 'Lady Hemera is busy'. Not long after she had regained her health, two weeks after she had arrived at the Sun Palace, Psyche grew bored. She decided to investigate.

It was nothing like the one Eros had constructed for her, everything was shiny, sparkly, new, with a hue of sunlight and dawn to it. In the throne room, at the head of the room, Hemera's throne was situated. It was made of pure, molten heat and waves of light. It was fatal to anyone but Hemera, with the exception of the sun god, Apollo.

The evening of her second day of exploring, Psyche happened upon a room. It had only a big, polished wooden oak desk at the center, and a chair, similar to Hemera's throne at the back of it. Papers were strewn across the desk, all written in a flawless calligraphy in Ancient Greek. There were letters addressed to Hemera, paperwork concerning the renovation of her palace and a multitude of other stuff. But what really drew Psyche's attention was a letter, written in her beloved husband's handwriting. Naturally, she grew excited, stealing away with the letter and running to her room as fast as her belly could carry her.

What she read devastated her, though.

 ** _From: Eros, god of love, sexual desire and longing_**

 ** _To: Hemera, goddess of day, Lady Light_**

 ** _My dear Hemera,_**

 _Just reading your letter lessened my heartache, as my mother, the ever-present Lady Aphrodite can tell you. I give you my utmost apologies for losing contact; I was blinded by love for my wife, whom I recently discovered, doesn't love me at all! 'Tis a shame, Hemera, how the god of love can hit himself with an arrow, and break his own heart._

 _I thank you for saving my children, Zeus knows Psyche doesn't deserve it. My mother, the Lady Aphrodite has volunteered to take care of Psyche, but I don't trust her, even as Psyche carries my children. My mother cares not for the lives my children, she only sees blind rage and revenge, which is why my father, the Lord Ares and my pseudo-aunt, the Lady Nemesis like her so much._

 _Hemera, I don't like you conspiring with the Lady Hera, but I have to admit, your plan has no flaws. I await news of your progress; but whatever you do, deliver my children safely. I still care for Psyche, but she isn't my priority. My children did nothing to deserve early judgement in Hades._

 _Yours in good health,_

 ** _Eros_**

Soon, Psyche grew jealous of the contact Hemera continuously had with Eros, as letters piled up in her office each day. But Psyche could no longer access them; Hemera's servants grew aware of the lax security near the goddesses office and quickly fixed that matter. So whenever the office wasn't occupied, which was when Hemera's mother, Nyx descended with her dark curtain of night, alert servants patrolled every inch of the hallway the office was situated in.

One day, Hemera finally knocked on Psyche's door. When Psyche opened it, she immediately wished she hadn't. Weeks had passed since Hemera had brought her to the palace and only last week, she had given birth to two healthy little girls. The babies had disappeared upon birth, leaving a lonely and hurting Psyche.

Now, Hemera stood in all her gleaming golden glory, a carriage floating right next to her. Psyche children were swaddled in soft, white silk, crowned with golden laurel wreaths, their eyes open and alert. One had sky blue eyes, the other the darkened color of firewood. The one with blue eyes had golden hair, which gleamed like a halo of light, the laurel wreath atop her head barely visible. The other one had hair as dark as night; both girls were extremely beautiful.

"Eros has named them Harmonia and Adrestia, in honor of his sisters. Harmonia is the blue-eyed one and the other is Adrestia. They are to be immediately taken to him, where they'll be raised with honor as princesses of love. I thought you'd appreciate saying goodbye to them." Hemera said gently.

"He's taking them away?!" Psyche cried. "I know I've sinned, that I've made a mistake, but don't take my daughters! Please!" She begged.

Hemera's heart went out to the broken former princess, but she knew she couldn't do anything. She couldn't; no, she wouldn't tell Psyche about the rest of the plan. It would positively break the new mother into pieces. Hera was spiteful, but she had never turned expecting mothers away and Psyche had been one of them. Now that her children were born, Hera had no use for Psyche and was ready to discard her like yesterday's trash. She had told Hemera to do so, but the gentle-hearted day goddess couldn't bring herself to do that.

She had to deliver Eros' children to him, but Psyche would stay here, until the day she died. Then, at least she would live a comfortable life and die in luxury.

"Psyche, I cannot do anything about that. Be grateful, the Lady Nike has blessed your children. They will lead happy lives and you, as a mortal, may reunite with them in your afterlife. Even though that is not guaranteed, you cannot beat yourself over what is done."

Hemera tried her best to explain the situation, but she really couldn't. How could she tell the broken-hearted mother that she had play the role of Harmonia and Adrestia's mother and Eros' lover? Nothing in the world could've convinced her to do so, other than her dear Thalassa's life. The daughter she had with Aither was her pride and joy, Thalassa was all her immortal glory. Now, goddesses couldn't die, but Hades could always pull in a few strings with Thanatos, and the god of death hadn't been Hemera's biggest fan, since she refused him Thalassa's hand in marriage.

"From a mother to a mother, Psyche, I'm truly sorry, in more than one way." Hemera told her genuinely, and that was the last sentence Psyche would hear from the day goddess for a long, long time.

* * *

 _ **AN: I know, it's not my best work. Added to the fact that Psyche and Eros' tale is one of my favorites in Percy Jackson and the Greek Heroes, I was really reluctant to ruin and bash it. I don't know what's gotten over me, but I just want to see Eros shipped with someone other than Reader and Psyche.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review and favorite it if you liked it. Thank you!**_


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